Corset-clasp



(No Model.)

W. F. BROOKS.

N4 Puma, mmuanp m. Wilhiuginn, u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM F. BROOKS, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

CORSET-CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,770, dated July 30,1889. Application filed February 16, 1889. Serial No. 300,182. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. BRooKs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCorsetOlasps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new anduseful improvements .incorset-clasps, and has for its object to afford a secure means forfastening the meeting edges of corsets, while at the same time theclasping and unclasping of my improvement is a very simple and rapidoperation, and, moreover, constitutes one of the chief recommendationsof my invention to the public.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation in detachedcondition of a pair of steels provided with my improvement; Fig. 2, asimilar view showing the bottom stud hooked and the stud next above inproper position with respect to its hook, preparatory to being clasped;and Fig. 3, an elevation similar to Fig. 1, but showing the steelsattached together by means of my improved fastening.

Similar letters and figures denote like parts in the several figures.

A B are the steels, the former having secured thereto the usual headedstuds 1.

2 are hooks secured to the steel B. All these hooks, except the bottomone, are open, as shown at 3. The bottom hook has a closed slot 4,leading at the top into an enlarged eye 5, contracted at 6, and leadingat the bottom into an upwardly-extending recess 7, a locking-point 8being thus formed, which resists the side-thrust of the bottom stud whenthe latter iswithin said recess, as will be presently explained.

The rear walls of the slots 3 project above the front walls thereof toafford shoulders 9, which latter act as stops to prevent the overthrowof the studs during the operation of clasping. The top edges of theupper hooks are inclined, as seen at 10, to facilitate the forcing ofthe studs within the slots 3, as will be readily understood from theoperation of my improvement, which I will now describe.

The bottom stud is first introduced through the eye 5 and drawn upwithin the contracted portion .6, so as to prevent any disengagement ofsaid stud, and the steel A is swung lat-erally to bring the stud nextabove upon the incline 10, as shown at Fig. 2. The steel A is now forcedtoward the steel B, the result being that the latter will be sprung bythe foreing of the stud up said incline until said stud has entered itsslot 3, whereupon the steel B will by virtue of its resiliency return tonormal position, thus automatically throwing the slot 3 upward to claspthe stud. The remaining studs are secured in like manner. After theupper studs are all in position within the slots 3, the lower stud isdrawn down and forced beyond the locking-point 8 up into the recess 7,thus securely locking the steels together. After the upper studs havereached the bottom of the slots 3 during the drawing down of the bottomstud, the latter will be a short distance above the point 8, and itbecomes necessary to spring the steel B in order to throw said studwithin the recess '7, this springing being accomplished by the cammingof said stud against the outer wall ofthe locking-point 8. Of course theclosed hook may be located at the top of the steel, or, in fact, it maybe located at any part of the steel, the operation being the same in allinstances.

No amount of wrenching on the corset-sectionssuch as is incident to theordinary use and wear of a corset-can disengage my improved clasp, sincethe bottom stud will be drawn up within the recess 7 and retainedtherein by the normal condition of the steel B, and the point 8 willsuccessfully oppose any lateral thrust of the bottom stud.

To disengage my improved clasp, the steel B is sprung by the obviouslyordinary manipulation of the corset-sections, so as to bring the bottomstud out of the recess '7 and outside of the point 8, and when said studhas been withdrawn from the eye 5 all the other studs will besimultaneously disengaged at a single manipulation of the said sections,as will be evident from the drawings.

I do not lay claim, broadly, to the open hooks, nor do I.claim suchhooks, broadly, in combination with a bottom closed hook, since I amaware that these are not new; but

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure hook, the latter having aclosed slot, an up by Letters Patent, is wardly-extending inclinedrecess, and a lock- 1. In a corset-clasp, the combination, withing-point between said slot and recess, subthe stud secured to one ofthe steels, of the stantially as shown, and for the purposes I 5 5 hooksecured to the other steel and having a herein set forth and described.

closed vertical slot leading at the top into an In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in eye and at the bottom into an inclined recess,presence of two witnesses.

substantially as set forth. WILLIAM F. BROOKS.

2. In a corset-clasp, the combination, with Witnesses: 10 the open hooksand the studs adapted to be S. S. WVILLIAMsoN,

engaged as described, of the lower stud and F. W. SMITH, Jr.

